Big flavours of citrus, soy and sesame come together to make a great Asian inspired beef carpaccio.
Carpaccio isn’t for everyone. But if you like it then this is a version you need to try. It’s a nice twist on the classic Italian preparation.
Carpaccio is a relatively recent invention
History lesson. This is not an ancient dish. Hasn’t been around for all that long really. It was invented in Harry’s bar in Venice in the 1950s.
Story goes that a countess came to the bar and said her doctor said she couldn’t eat cooked meat. So they came up with a dish of thinly sliced beef served with a mayonnaise like sauce.
The colours were vibrant red and white. The owner of the bar named it carpaccio after an artist Vitorre Carpaccio who’s style was heavy on red and white.
An Asian twist makes this carpaccio a little different
Other than the thinly sliced beef, this version doesn’t have a lot in common with the one served at Harry’s bar. It’s more like beef tataki if anything. Not seared though. Raw like the original.
It’s really about soy and citrus and sesame. No creamy sauce at all. Peanuts and sesame seeds and green chilies add a nice counterpoint.
And truffle oil. That pushes this carpaccio right over the top. These are big tastes. Bold. Not delicate. Or subtle.
It’s a crazy combination. The idea comes from District One in Las Vegas. It’s this funky Vietnamese eatery in China town. I try to get there any time I’m in Vegas. There’s so much good food off-strip. Go looking for it if you are there.
Their version is a little different. The beef is super thin. See through thin. That makes a difference. The ponzu/soy mixture is heated up. The super thin beef starts to cook by the time it gets to the table.
This version uses thinly sliced rib-eye but it’s not as thin. And it gets served straight out of the fridge. Safety first here. So it doesn’t really cook as much. I like it both ways.
carpaccio asian style
Ingredients
- 10 oz rib eye or top sirloin sliced thinly against the grain (see note)
- 4 tbsp ponzu sauce store bought is fine
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp black pepper coarsely ground
garnishes
- 1/4 cup fried shallots see note below
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp chopped peanuts
- 1 green chili thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- drizzle truffle oil
- cilantro or basil
Instructions
- Place the soy and ponzu in a small sauce pan. Heat to just below a simmer.
- Place beef on a serving dish. Lay it flat in a single layer.
- Pour hot ponzu/soy overtop.
- Drizzle the beef with sesame oil and truffle oil.
- Garnish with peanuts, sesame seeds, crispy fried shallots, chilies and herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
Nuoc cham is that wonderful dipping sauce you get at Vietnamese restaurants. Salty, sweet, sour and spicy. It’s the perfect sauce for so many Vietnamese dishes.
This is about the easiest sauce around. Which is amazing really. I think it’s truly magical. It great with spring rolls. Drizzle it over cool noodle salads. Dip chicken wings in it. It just works.
You need nuoc cham in your arsenal
I never planned to post a standalone recipe. But I’ve written it many times. With every recipe it goes with. And I’m not going to stop posting recipes that use it.
So here it is. Once and for all. Well not really for ever. Because I’m always tinkering with it. This is my current thinking. Not all that different from other versions. Just a few minor tweaks.
Salty, sweet, sour, spicy
That’s pretty much the definition of Southeast Asian food. The playbook. Look at just about any recipe. It’s almost always about the interplay of these four flavours. Foundational.
And nuoc cham is just exactly that. Salty from fish sauce. Sweet from sugar. Sour from lime juice. And spicy from red chilies. The Vietnamese know what they are doing. Nuoc cham is proof.
